Content creators: A World to Discover
A special meeting dedicated to the role of social networks and influencers in agricultural mechanization took place at Agrilevante. A survey conducted specifically among a sample of agricultural businesses and manufacturers – presented by Liana Agostinelli for Agia CIA and Simona Rapastella for FederUnacoma – shows how the quality of communication and the reliability of content creators are crucial in shaping the preferences of followers and the investments of agricultural machinery companies.
Agricultural information is conveyed through traditional media but also on social networks and the profiles of content creators (influencers). The role of new "formats" has grown significantly in every direction (there are a total of 37,700 content creators in Italy), but also in the specific sector of agriculture. FederUnacoma, in collaboration with Agia – CIA, has undertaken a study to this phenomenon, which was presented this morning in Bari at Agrilevante at a meeting entitled “Communicating Agromechanics: The Contribution of Social Media and Content Creators,” moderated by Peppone Calabrese, a well-known journalist from Linea Verde (RaiUno). The survey examined both agricultural businesses, which are the "users" of social media, and agricultural machinery manufacturers, which view content creators as a potentially interesting vehicle for promoting and marketing their products. The agricultural businesses were surveyed according to a sample that represents the company's main production orientations and the range of activities integrated into the business, such as agritourism and those related to the processing and direct sale of products. The survey—as Liana Agostinelli, National Vice President of Agia-CIA, explained in her speech—measures companies' orientation toward social networks, showing a clear prevalence for Facebook and Instagram, and a more limited use of LinkedIn and TikTok. The reasons why agricultural businesses frequent social media are both entertainment-related and related to information, sharing interests, and business, even if the average time dedicated to social media is still limited (mostly no more than 4 hours per week). The survey confirms that agricultural companies use social networks extensively to obtain information on agricultural machinery, explained Liana Agostinelli, considering manufacturers the most reliable source. Although content creators are a growing phenomenon, there is still considerable room for growth, as only just over 20% of surveyed companies report using them, and even fewer report using them for information on agricultural machinery. For social media information to develop effectively, the Vice President of Agia-CIA concluded, "it is essential that the technical content of agricultural business assessments is edited and that the information is increasingly reliable". Equally interesting are the results emerging from the manufacturing industry – described by Simona Rapastella, General Director of FederUnacoma – which also show a preference for Facebook and Instagram (both 35% of companies' preferences), but also a good percentage for LinkedIn, while TikTok is very marginal with just 1% of preferences. As is the case with agricultural companies, agro-mechanical industries (68%) also dedicate relatively little time to social media, on average between 2 and 4 hours per week, while only 12% dedicate more than 6 hours per week to social media. The primary goal of using social media (86% of the preferences) is to increase the visibility of one's business, explained Simona Rapastella, but it also includes its use as a customer service tool, present in 50% of the surveyed businesses. Overall, agricultural machinery companies' investment in social media is still limited, with 90% currently allocating between 10 and 30% of their communications budgets, while only 8% allocate between 30 and 60% to social media. In social media, 27% of the budget is allocated to content creators, with a clear prevalence of videos and posts as the types of media products. Companies that invest in agri-influencers see in them above all the possibility of reaching specific segments of the public (69% of the sample) - said the Director of FederUnacoma - but also the ability to experiment with communication and language in step with the times (54%). Finally, a key finding—which was discussed during the meeting—regards the requirements set by the agricultural machinery industry: 57% of those who invest in influencers select them based on their good reputation and credibility, while the influencer's communication style and number of followers play a less important role in their selection. Peppone Calabrese's conclusions highlighted how information on agricultural machinery is perceived as particularly sensitive, requiring specific expertise and professionalism, and how this will play a role in the development of social media communications in the coming years.
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